Cameron Johnston is a man of his word. With *The Maleficent Seven*, he promised readers *The Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven*, but with villains, and that’s what we got. With *The Last Shield*, he promised readers *Die Hard*, but gender-flipped and in a castle.

What we get is, in fact, *Die Hard*, but gender-flipped and in a castle.

In more detail: this is set in a castle built atop a vault containing a bunch of immensely powerful and dangerous ancient artifacts. The bad guys (including both external marauders and traitors from within) lure most of the garrison away, kill whoever is left, and have a couple of days to get past all the magical protections of the vault and steal the artifacts before the garrison realizes the danger and returns. Luckily, the commander of the palace guard was recovering from an injured leg and was missed during the initial takeover. So she has to slink about the castle, taking out invaders and working to rescue the Lord Regent who has been captured because they need his blood to open the vault.

The result, like the original *Die Hard*, isn’t something that’s going to change you to the very core of your soul, but it’s a hell of a ride.

I particularly liked how Bronze Age this was. In practical terms it isn’t really any different from most fantasy, but it gives a distinctly different aesthetic to the entire thing.

My only real complaint about the book was how long it took to really get to the meat of it. Once the castle was invaded and the Die Hard-ing (Dying Hard? Not sure how to verb that)
started in earnest, this was fun. The prelude to that part was fine, but I feel like it could have been compressed.

Content warning for graphic violence, and lots of it.

Yippee ki yay, motherfuckers.

Thank you to Cameron Johnson, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Last Shield in exchange for my honest review.

This book is oddly addicting, though I would be lying if I said there were parts where I was not struggling. There was a lot of info-dumping right at the beginning of the book about Sunweald, the other nations, and what is going on in the book. From the.beginning we know that there are a group called the Wildwood Reivers that have been stealing arcane artefacts and smuggling them out of Sunweald. We also know that there are a lot of various political and religious temples, and that the kingdoms are struggling to get along. All that information is dumped on the reader pretty quickly. Then there is an assassination attempt which leads to Briar, the shield for the lord regent and the lord heir getting injured. While Briar is struggling with her injuries, there is a much larger assassination attempt. That second one was addicting and is the heart of the story. I loved to read about it. I went from struggling to get through the book to not being able to put the book down as I read about Briar trying to stop the plot before it succeeds.

While I thought there was a lot of good in this book, and I did get through it really fast, I am struggling to get past one key thing. What was the point of setting up these tensions between kingdoms and all this worldbuilding, if it was going to play such a small role in the grand scheme of things? I would rather have read more about the Shields and life in kingdom leading up to the assassination attempt, then I would have learning about the kingdom. There were a lot of cool concepts in this book, but I feel like it was just to much and not enough pages. I am unclear on if the hope is for this to be a series, or if this is just.a standalone. I hope it is a series largely because it feels like there was this big setup, just for the story to be about stopping an assassination attempt. If this does turn out to be a series, I would 100% read in because I thought the character development was outstanding and the concept was great, and the plot moved along well, I just was confused at times about why all this information was introduced but then not further explored.

When Angry Robot sent their pitch for books for the year one was very much "me" coded. Aging protagonist dealing with a Die Hard situation in a fantasy setting? Hell yes.

"The Last Shield" by Cameron Johnston takes place in Sunweald, a relatively small country with a history of magic and power that lends it protection. Because of course it's neighbors have beef with each other. Due to this the Regent has been playing politics to keep them occupied while the king comes of age. The commander of the royal guards, the Shields, Briar recently stopped an assassination attempt (she got real brutal on the would be killers) but was injured in the process. Aging, slower than she once was, a burden in her mind, she makes plans to leave Sunweald Palace. Unfortunately for the raiders who were spirited in, she hadn't fully retired.

Reasons to read:
-Stand alone, great fun, put your eyeballs on it
-Briar's inner thoughts definitely don't ring in my mind, or knees, as I get older
-It's very much a "find out" era for some people
-The Die Hard references has me cackling
-Oooo I like what you did with that ending

Cons:
-Don't think we will get a follow up that is like DH3

Review: The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston

Available now!

I received an Arc for my review from Angry Robot and Netgalley, and I thank them for the opportunity.

Quotes: "Imagine her spirit is watching you from the otherworld and do not let her death be pointless."

"A line had been carved right through her life, separating the before times from everything after, and she'd only just noticed it—had been forced to notice it. "And yet, the anger and frustration would kill me as quickly as a poisoned arrow to the heart."

"I'm no coward. Let me fight," he pleaded. "This is my home too. Those are my people and what's left of my family. I can't just run away and leave them to die."

"Shields endured. Shields never gave up. Shields protected."

Review: Briar, A shield, a protector of the king and the heir, is injured in an assassination attempt and is slowed up so much that she gives up her calling. Just minutes before leaving for good, the assailants attempt to capture the king and heir again. And they're in for a fight before she'll be done with them.
It very much feels like a genderbent fantasy version of Die Hard. With some changes. Technology = Magic. Bows and arrows, curses, and some good 'ol monsters thrown in there.

The story isn't hard to follow and flows nicely.
Briar is such a good character. And something about an injury plaguing the heroine throughout the story was so refreshing. It felt more real and relatable. She questioned what she's to do with her life after her role was taken from her by an unknown archer.
She still upholds her oath and won't abandon her king and people. Kester's growth in the story was so nice to read. He starts out afraid and becomes braver than most.
Overall, If you want an action-packed fantasy story, that's easily understandable and seemingly familiar with the Die Hard inspiration. Check this one out.
I'd give it 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for reading

This book was such a wild ride to jump into and I loved every moment of it! It was gritty, dark, fun, and the story was utterly captivating!

I absolutely flew through this book because once I started it, there was no chance I was putting it down! Briar is this incredible female protagonist who takes no shit, is tough as nails, but also influences so many people around her to be good people. The world building done in this book was really easy to follow, and I had no trouble getting deeply immersed in this story as I was reading it!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

OMG John McLaine and Xena had a baby and she is named Briar! Tough as nails, easily irritated, no time for wusses but she has a heart dipped in loyalty and doesn't know the meaning of the word fail. To get to be the Commander of the Shields she gave up on just about everything else - her family, love, a chance of an uninjured future! But to her protecting Sunweald, the heir in waiting and his uncle, the Regent, was worth it.

This older warrior may be looked upon by the newer recruits as a bit of a carmudgeon and past her prime but she can swing a sword and lop off limbs with the best of them. But when an assassin strikes and Briar finally succumbs to an injury she can't just shrug off, she realises that she may just be past her best and *gulp* determines it may be time to hang up her sword!

But an attack by Wildwood Reivers with the help of traitorous allies within her own castle walls, means Briar is back in protector mode and she will face down any and all enemies!

Fantasy with plenty of blood, guts, action and derring-do but with a core of humour, found family and a burgeoning romance! I loved that the main characters are older and a bit cranky and slow to bounce back. They are so much more lifelike. The camaraderie between the Warband Shields, Briar and the Regent is really heartwarming and the insults fly thick and fast.

Early on, Briar suffers an injury which makes her question her entire purpose and ability. Pushing past this, recovering physically and mentally, was written deftly with great care and exceeding insight to Briar’s character.

I am rather proud of Briar and her denial/acceptance of her new limitations. As a mobility challenged person I did all the same things - denied it, face-planted more than once, forgot not to try and do some things and made injuries worse. The slow acceptance of your new normal - it was like seeing a rather more blood-thirsty and capable me on the page!

I am ecstatic that I guessed all the bad guys - even that sneaky once that I almost thought was going to be a good guy! I had a rollicking good time in Sunweald and I really hope we haven't seen the last of Briar, Alaric and co.

This was easily my most wished for ARC because Cameron Johnston has become one of my favorite writers with The Maleficent Seven, when he made readers cheer for the bad guys.

In The Last Shield I cheered again, this time though not for a villain but for Briar, a skilled veteran fighter who goes through a long period of time recovering from a poisoned wound received in battle.
I adore how Johnston wrote her breakdown and her strength, how she is not a teenage super chosen one but a very real, mature woman who has earned her skills in combat and also knows how to fight dirty when necessary.

Another thing I like very much are the action scenes. Johnston always gets you right in the front lines, you feel every slash and crack and sneak along with your heroes. There was also a tiny hint of romance and a good character growth for one of the side characters.

Overall this is once more a wonderful story, the comparison as a genderbend Die Hard is valid.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC!

3.5

The Last Shield is an action-packed ride, reminiscent of Die Hard.. if it was set in a castle with a fantasy backdrop. The main character Briar is the commander of a group of warriors known as the Shields and their top priority is protecting the royals at Sunweald Palace. So when the king’s regent Alaric gets captured by the enemies, Briar and her allies race against the clock to return him safely back to the palace. I liked that the characters are older and I appreciated the way the author weaved Briar’s disability into the story. She’s still shown as a strong fighter who is very much capable, even with the severe damage done to her leg. There’s some great side characters as well as the added humor from Briar. I enjoyed reading this one but I have to admit that it never fully sucked me in— I felt no intense need to finish this book. I had a good time reading it but I just don’t think it’s one that will stick with me.

I really enjoyed this book! The first third introduced the world, the characters and the conflicts between different groups of people.

The final two thirds were my favourite and they flew by! Here we follow the main character as she tries to take down the enemies one by one to protect the Regent and the secrets hidden within the castle.

I thought this was a great setting for this book. All of the secret tunnels and the layout of the castle made for a very entertaining and quick read as the enemies were gradually picked off. I was really routing for Briar and really enjoyed her as a character.

Because of the nature of this book, there are trigger warnings for violence and death, but nothing overly graphic or gory.

Thank you to Angry Robot and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review.

Fantasy, gender-bent Die Hard with sorcery and lots of gore? Hell yeah.

The Last Shield was a fun, tower defense book that sees Briar fighting tooth and nail to protect the Wyrm Vault in the castle she works in. She's great... an older, witty and cunning character with a no BS attitude that definitely knows how to fight. This is quite the tale, although there isn't a ton of plot, following Briar pick off bad guys is 100% a good time.

The characters and struggles felt real, and I thought Cameron Johnston did a wonderful job portraying both the world and people in it.

The Last Shield is a great book to pick up in between massive fantasy series - such a refreshing standalone!

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE LAST SHIELD ABOUT?
Briar is the commander of the Shield, the Royal Guard protecting the soon-to-be-King; his uncle, the Lord Regent; and the castle that serves as the capital for the realm of Sunweald. She's been in the post for several years, also serving as the personal bodyguard and confidant of the regent.

There are two neighboring kingdoms that would like to take over Sunweald, as well as to loot the castle's vault, which, according to legend, contains the kind of magical weaponry that can remake the world. Keeping that vault safe, secure, and unmolested is one of Briar's primary responsibilities.

The prince is set to take over in just a couple of years, and Kester is the prototypical spoiled, indolent, and irresponsible royal who no one can imagine can/should assume the throne. Maybe, if he grows up a lot before becoming an adult, but that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, the realm is in the incredibly capable and wise hands of his uncle Alaric

During a seasonal religious rite, an attack against the royal family leaves several guards dead and Briar near death, they have foiled the attempt, but at a great cost. After a long convalescence she's recovered enough to move around a little bit, but not fit to return to active duty. After half a year of waiting and plotting, the survivors and some mercenary allies attack the castle from within—taking Alaric and some of the staff hostage, and killing others. Briar and Kester happen to be in just the right place and escape the sweep that collected so many. It's up to them, each in their own way, to use Briar's knowledge of the castle (and hidden passageways) to mount a rescue mission and to take down the small force who have taken over.

SHIELDS
I'm talking literal shields here, not Briar and her guard.

Growing up, the only way I saw shields used was defensively—to block arrows or swords—until someone had to valiantly discard them because their dominant hand/arm was injured and they had to desperately use their shield arm to wield a sword, obviously. The only exception to this was Captain America (and a DC clone or two) and his implausible use of his.

And that's pretty much how I saw the objects until now. But Clay Cooper and Briar have got me thinking about them as offensive weapons now. Their shields are very different in terms of size and material—but they're both effectively used as a weapon. Briar does use her defensively, of course, but both prior to her time as a guerrilla fighter and now, she shows that a shield can be a potent weapon.

So my questions are: Have I missed how people use these things offensively all along? (either by reading the wrong things or not remembering anything but the swordplay, archery, and/or magic) Or have we entered an age where authors are embracing the full range of these objects strapped to an arm?

THE DIE HARD-NESS OF IT ALL
The Publisher's description of this novel starts off with, "A gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle." And that's absolutely what the book is—is that description reductionistic? Yes. Is it apt? Also, yes. But it's also so much more than that summary. (but what a great elevator, pitch, right?)

I do not know if Johnston set out to write this as a Fantasy Die Hard, but at some point, he had to realize that's what he was doing and (if you ask me) leaned into it. There are just too many similarities for me to believe anything else. But really, there's one paragraph that seals the deal—I won't give you details (but you'll recognize it), but it is borrowing/appropriating/stealing an indelible image from the film. After reading that I knew it wasn't just some ingenious marketer at Angry Robot who tagged it as "A gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle," as I half-way wondered, but it was Johnston's intention. There's just no way he does that.

I should stress that just because it's a version of a movie that you likely know very well—do not think you know how this book is going to go. There's plenty of suspense for the reader, as well as magical creatures that might have sent John McClane running for the hills.

Would I have been thoroughly entertained by The Last Shield without all the parallels to one of my all-time favorite movies? Yes. But being able to watch Johnston's take on McClane, Nakatomi Tower, and the rest? It's just an extra layer of frosting on an already delicious cake.

I do wish we'd gotten a Thornberg/William Atherton-esque character (should that get a spoiler warning), a non-villain that you despise almost as much as (if not more than) Gruber/his crew. Not because the novel was lacking anything, it's just satisfying to see them get their comeuppance.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE LAST SHIELD?
This is a heckuva thrill-ride. Like its cinematic predecessor, the action in this novel is top-notch. It's not non-stop, there are moments of reflection, of exhaustion, of trying to figure out how to survive—much less succeed against this force. The set-up to the main action also takes longer than you might think (but you should really just relax and let Johnston do his thing, it's all important and helps establish what comes later). I was hooked almost immediately—and while I wondered when the "Die Hard" part of the book would kick in, I really didn't care. I was having a good enough time with Briar, Alaric, and the rest.

But, boy howdy, when the action kicked in? What was a perfectly enjoyable book got so much better. Johnston can write an action scene—whether the action is hand-to-hand, bladed weapon against something else, supernatural-based...you name it, he can handle it with panache and aplomb. It's well paced—with just enough downtime between fight scenes for you and the characters to be ready for the next. Once the book builds up enough steam, forget it—you're not going to willingly put it down.

It's not all about swords, shields, axes, and spells, however. Briar dealing with her injuries and recovery—both before the "Hans Gruber" moment and afterward—is done to almost perfection. There's real growth—and real injury (and not just physical)—to be seen in several other characters. No one survives this time unscathed in one way or another.

The noted attorney and political operative Ainsley Hayes, noted, "they're all about duty" when discussing the work of Gilbert and Sullivan.* This book, at its core, is just as much about duty as The Pirates of Penzance or H.M.S. Pinafore. Briar, ready to give her life fighting when she's unfit for battle; Alaric, giving up decades of his life to step in as Lord Regent and govern; Kester figuring out what his obligations are to those he rules; several servants, guests, and others in the castle during the takeover carrying out their duties in what limited capacities they can as hostages—and the utter abandonment of duty by others. The Last Shield doesn't have to be thought of in terms of good vs. evil (while it applies, it's problematic when it comes to some characters). Instead, I suggest that it's better seen whether these people live up to their duty/obligation or do they abandon that for selfish gain.**

And, there is something incredibly appealing to that way of thinking in our incredibly polarized and me-centric time. All sorts of people considering the cost and putting aside their wants/desires/lives in favor do doing what they're supposed to do anyway.

* Yes, there's no need to bring Ainsely into this, but I can't help thinking of her and that line—or Leo, or Lionel Tribbey, etc.—when I think about duty.
** There are one or two characters who took over the castle that you could put forward against my claim, but I think I could make a strong (spoiler-filled) case in my defense, so I won't do that pre-emptively.

I should probably talk a little about the three magic systems at work in this world—but this thing is going on too long already. But I really like seeing that diversity at work.

It wasn't until I was preparing this post that I realized that Johnston wrote The Maleficent Seven , a book I've been meaning to get around to for ages. Now I'm even more motivated to do that ( The Traitor God , too, come to think of it).

But that's for another day, for today, I just want to revel in the near-perfection of this roller-coaster of a novel. I had such a good time with this novel and I've been telling everyone I know about it (I even think I sold the manager of a local bookstore on it, hopefully, he continues that chain). I was ready to read it again as soon as I was done.

Fantasy readers and action-adventure readers alike will dig this one. Go get your orders in now, unless you're reading this on or after August 13—in that case, run down to your local indie bookstore and pick it up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Angry Robot Books via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.

I loved this! Briar is the very devoted commander of the Shields. After thwarting an assassination attempt, she is plagued with what will be a lifelong injury. While preparing to leave the Palace, she is taken by surprise when some of her own Shields attempt a takeover with a powerful sorceress leading them.

Immediately I was drawn to Briar and her grit. She stood out among many great characters. And what followed was a fabulous adventure I didn’t want to end. It was full of magic, treason, battles and so much more. This went to the top of my favorite fantasy reads and I wish this was a series!

Thank you to Angry Robot for the copy!

The book releases August 13, 2024.

eARC Review: The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston 🛡️

I’m usually not a big fan of action movies as they leave me an even bigger anxious wreck than I normally am because of all the nonstop action scenes. This book though, I would happily watch this even though my anxiety levels would be through the ROOF! 😧

This book is described as a gender bent Die Hard set in a castle. I will be honest that I had to Google the movie and read the summary just to get an idea of what that description even meant. 😅

The story follows Briar, a kick ass knight in charge of protecting the realm’s regent, Alaric. I honestly couldn’t help but picture a mix of Brielle of Tarth from Game of Thrones and the Queen of American rugby, Ilona Maher, as Briar the entire time I was reading this, and man was this mental image EPIC. I loved that Johnston portrayed this warrior woman as someone who has worked hard to be where she is and doesn’t take her position for granted. I also loved the smidge of romance between her and her charge, and really enjoyed a relationship where the woman is physically stronger and more imposing than her male love interest. 🥹

The main action of the book happens around the 50% mark so this might not be fans who like action from the get-go, but once it gets going. . . oh boy, does it steam roll you. I thought the plot did a wonderful job building to that 50% mark and really showed how high stakes the whole thing was. I couldn’t have asked for a more thorough plot build than this! 🤯

This might be considered spoilerish, but the only thing I did find myself wishing more for was more of a history about Hisparren itself and how Imperatix was linked to it in the first place. 🦴

Other than that, this was a fantastic action packed fantasy standalone that really transports you to a wonderful Scotland inspired world. Big thank you goes to Angry Robot and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and the author, Johnston, for making me enjoy an action movie like plot for once. I was happily stressed to the NINES with this. 😨

Publication date: August 13!

Overal: 4.75/5 ⭐️

Briar is the Commander of Sunweald’s elite guard, The Shields, and has been a warrior all her life. It is all she’s known. So when she is wounded at the Summer Solstice saving the Lord Regent from an assassination attempt, Briar is left struggling with her new reality. The thought of retiring leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, but when faced with the hard truths, she realises that she needs to put the protection of those she cares about first. She leaves without telling the Lord Regent, her long-time friend, who would try to talk her out of it.

When Sunweald is viciously attacked, it’s by pure luck that Briar is still in the palace when it happens. She had planned to be long gone by then. It’s a good thing she wasn’t because due to treachery she’s the last Shield standing. She may have a shaky injured leg, but she’s got stealth, surprise and a massive amount of fury on her side. Briar is going to make the brigands pay for attacking her home and friends, or die trying.

I was expecting good things from The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston after reading The Maleficent Seven. Going in, I wasn’t expecting the protagonist to be a disabled, older female warrior. Johnston writes about Briar’s journey through injury and recovery with care and sensitivity, demonstrating lived experience or thorough research. The way that Briar refers to how difficult stars are with her injury suggests the former might be the case; stairs as an enemy is a unique experience known only to those who have lived through that excruciatingly fun time.

Briar is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. For me, though, she was right on the money. A woman who knows her place is damn proud of her achievements, and not afraid to let people know it. Despite Shields being open to men and women, misogyny is still very much alive and kicking, with several men under her command making their dislike of her known throughout the book. This just makes it even more satisfying when they realise who is lurking in the shadows, ruining all their plans.

Other than the obvious differences between The Last Shield and Die Hard (gender and genre swap), the biggest one is that Cameron has not made Briar all-powerful. Not only is she nursing her injury from the Summer Solstice, but he considers all the wear and tear taking its toll on his character’s body versus their experience. Although action films are good fun, they don’t take things like limitations or consequences into consideration. While Briar has the experience, she needs to take into consideration her limitations, and this makes for a much more interesting story.

The world-building of The Last Shield is beautiful in its simplicity. Cameron has dangled enough information about Sunweald, its history with the mysterious fae creatures the Sleaghan Mhath, and the surrounding lands of Ves and the Holy Wrendel Empire to give context. This is very much a book about the characters and action rather than lore. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any world-building or that it should be viewed as bad, but rather as a positive, as Cameron clearly knew what type of atmosphere he was trying to create with this novel.

Instead of trying to make The Last Shield too heavy with world-building, he has pulled from Celtic history and mythology, creating a world that echoes Scottish history and culture. With druids serving as the religious leaders and medical authorities, as they did in Celtic society, the Sleaghan Mhath are reminiscent of the Tuatha Dé Danann from Celtic mythology.

It’s a world that Briar and the rest of the characters fit into neatly, providing Cameron with the opportunity to introduce characters that range from the ruling family, and cast-out sons of noble families to servants. The characters are diverse and complicated, accompanied by stellar dialogue that will have you laughing. There are a few particular scenes that will keep me giggling for a very long time. There is also a brilliant animal companion that is not your typical animal companion, to say the least.

The fight scenes are well-written and diverse using a wide array of weapons, tactics and locations. A lot of fantasy books rely on just sword fighting or certain characters being experts in one particular weapon, often forgetting that shields were used for more than just deflection. The majority of the action takes place inside the palace, and Cameron has done his homework, using every single part of the palace and its grounds to get very creative. The results are some very creative and bloody fight scenes.

The level of blood and gore was deeply satisfying to read, especially as it comes from a mature female warrior avenging her people. Too often in fantasy are women not allowed to be this violent, and if they are, they are a lot younger. As some other reviews have mentioned, yes, there is a romantic subplot. I didn’t consider it that noteworthy, to be honest, and wasn’t even going to mention it until I saw other reviews referring to it in a slightly negative way – because, oh no, we can’t have a fierce tough as all hell female character AND romance, can we?! Give me a break.

The romance subplot is very minor. It is there and runs along beneath the main plot in the sense that Briar has feelings for someone and she wants to see them safe, as would anyone in this situation. There is no swooning or the like, and due to the situation, there aren’t many romance scenes at all.

If I’ve not convinced you by now, then this probably isn’t the book for you. The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston delivers a page-turning adventure with a strong female warrior who will do everything in her power to take back her home from the enemy – and she plans to make it as painful as possible for them.

I am not a big reader of fantasy - science fiction and pulp are more my jam - but I make an exception for Cameron Johnston's books. He writes the most outrageous, bonkers, brutal, and fun fantasy I've read. And what's more, in an age where everything is a series and a franchise, Johnston refreshingly sticks to one-and-done books. Of course that means that he has one book to build the world and the characters, develop said characters, and write the beginning, middle, and end. But he pulls it off with aplomb.

His latest standalone novel, The Last Shield, scores a perfect 10 on all the above mentioned points. Plus, the setting is brand new - at least in my limited experience. Instead of going for the High Middle Ages or Renaissance Europe, Johnston has set his books in a Bronze Age Celtic milieu, complete with druids, stone castles, animal spirits, and lots and lots of bronze weapons. As I understand, he's a student of archaeology and sword-fighting and uses the old adage "Write what you know" to great effect.

Of course,, the setting wouldn't have meant much if the characters were not up to the mark. And here Johnston shines again. Over the course of the last several books he's created a number of wonderful characters - Edrin Walker, Black Herran, Maeven. Now he's added Briar to that list. Briar is your typical action heroine - except that she is far older than your typical action heroine, a cynical, world-weary warrior who's seen it all and done it all in the service of her country.

By the time the book ends, things have wrapped up as neatly. But the world Johnston has created is big enough for more stories and Briar would definitely take up arms again even if she cursed and cussed and cursed and cussed. She's just that sort of person.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in The Last Shield and the relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

Mixing fantasy and action, Cameron Johnston’s new book tells the story of Briar, the commander of The Royal Guard, known as shields.

At the beginning of the book, Briar suffers a life changing injury in the line of duty. The injury, a poisoned arrow to the leg, leaves her changed forever and with an inability to serve her duty to the regent of the the land of Sunweald. The first part of the book deals with Briar’s failed rehabilitation, and the realisation that she can no longer be close to the man that she has come to love in the years protecting him, so that the rightful heir, Kestor, can take his place as heir to the throne.

As the seasons move on and Briar comes to the realisation that the injury that she has taken has, in her mind, left her incapable of doing her job. She plans to take a bow from castle duties and make her way to her brother’s farm, convalesce and reevaluate her life. However, things don’t go according to plan, and as she takes her leave, a band of brigands under the leadership of sorcerer Imperatrix, storm the castle whilst it is at its weakest. They kill most of the inhabitants that they deem worthless and take the nobility hostage in the hope that they can break into the secret vault of magical artefacts under the castle.

Let me take you back in time to the mid eighties.

Imagine little old me at the tender age of fourteen. I had tried for many years to get into fantasy and had struggled with the old Tolkien bloke’s huge tome, struggling with the formal language that it was written in.

Going to the local library, I wanted something different to the normal steady diet of horror and had found things like David Eddings and Terry Brooks. However, one day I stumbled on a shiny new author called David Gemmell and his first book, Legend. I took this home and devoured it in a day, and it has been one of my favourites since (in fact I read it again earlier this year!)

When reading The Last Shield, this put me firmly in mind of reading Legend and the excitement that I had when I read the exploits of Druss the Legend as he defended a castle against insurmountable odds. Now I know that The Last Shield is billed as a kind of fantasy Die Hard, and I have seen many reviewers referring to this, but for me, whilst it does have these elements and it is an obvious tonal reference, I felt that the book had the same qualities of Legend that I love so much. It has the flawed, older character fighting for against a foe that by rights should beat them to a bloody pulp. It has a similar brand of characters, and you can’t help falling in love with the main character Briar who, similarly to Druss, fights against what ails them the most. As well as that, there are a good set of side characters. Alaric, the Lord Regent, stoic in his mind to carry out his duty. Then there’s Kestor, the foppish heir to the thrown who undergoes a kind of redemption arc, and finally there’s Gwilherm, who is there for comic relief.

Now, some may say that these are archetypal characters, but I have no problem with that. I like archetypal characters when they are done well, and I thought that in The Last Shield they were done very well indeed.

The world building of the book is interesting, based on a Celtic influenced society, but with a quasi Christian culture in one country and what could have been a Viking style country at the other side. However, the world doesn’t encroach too much, except when the story needs it to.

In addition to this, there is a magic system that works when needed, but doesn’t give too much explanation of the mechanics of the system, and there are also magical creatures in the form f the Fae.

The Last Shield is a great piece of escapism. It doesn’t demand too much off your attention and is a good little page turner. Yes, the book does take some time to build Briar’s character, showing how she reacts to adversity etc, but when the main plot kicks in, the pace of the book just flies.
If you are going to read one fantasy book this then make sue you read The Last Shield.

5 🌟
1 🌶️

Holy smokes, what a fun read! When the description said a gender-flipped "Die Hard," it wasn't lying! Briar is such a badass; that is the only way to describe her; she truly kicked butt and took names. The good guys were good, and the bad guys were horribly bad, but it worked. The excitement keeps you invested and I read this book so quickly. I could not put it down; I had to know how Briar would fight her way out and rescue Alaric. It was an honest read about how our lives change when we experience a life-altering injury. She must learn to acclimate to her body's new reality (coupled with Briar's aging body) while the rest of the world carries on as normal. It was a teeth-clenching, eye-popping action book that left you flipping pages and sitting on the edge of your seat. There was humor, a bit of romance, and a whole lot of fighting with a good amount of gore. But if the gore is not there the story would not have worked as well as it does. It concluded fantastically and was so much fun. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Do you know how some people consider "Die Hard" a Christmas film? It makes me want to start a holiday for a yearly read of "The Last Shield" just to re-acquaint myself with Briar. She's unforgettable and awesome.

Thank you, NetGalley and Angry Robot, for the eArc. The opinions are mine.

This book does what it promises, a gender-flipped die hard in a castle with swords. Non-stop action where our protagonist gets to wipe out all her enemies single-handedly. We see Briar, focussed only on revenge, fight her way to the ruler of Sunweald - one fight after another, after another, after another...

This book was a quick read, with a plot that was straightforward to follow and writing that was easy-going. The promised political turmoil took on a very easy black and white early on, making it easy to hate Briar's enemies without having to think too hard. If you're looking for a book with some more 'grey' this is not for you.

I expected more from some of the secondary characters early on, but this really did turn out to be a story about a one-woman-wonder, once I had emotionally abandoned the hope other characters might feature more heavily I was able to get into the story enough to enjoy it.

I enjoyed this read. I found the action well written, the characters were easy to root for. I easily read this in one weekend bc I couldn’t put it down